Posted by BMT Micro

Reading Time: 3minutes

First impressions, good or bad, are lasting. And while you can overcome a bad first impression, it is much better to start off a relationship on the right foot. The same goes for starting a relationship with your customers. After creating a stellar Homepage and About Us page, customers will hopefully be drawn in enough that they order from you and opt in to join your email list, or even join the list without a purchase to learn more about your company. Welcome emails are a deciding factors for many customers if they want to continue to receive your updates, or if they want to move on.

What is a welcome email?

A welcome email is the email you send your customer to follow up with them after the make their first purchase. This includes subscription conformations and post purchase emails. Welcome emails have an open rate of 50%, which means that they are 86% more effective than a regular email. They are the foundation for all emails to follow, so make sure that you value the customer’s time and give them quality content.

How to make welcome emails work:

By the time your customer gets a welcome email, they are already invested in your company. They might have just purchased from you for the first time, or they might be impressed by something they saw or heard about your company, and want to stay in the loop. Encourage their excitement in joining you by devising a strategy. See what kind of emails competitors in your field are sending out, track the open rate, clicks, and conversions of the emails, and keep your welcome email on track with your brand image. For example, many brands with welcome members to the “family” or “tribe” to make new customers feel as though they are part of a large family. Others choose to keep it simple, with a short elevator pitch about why they are glad the customer signed up with them and what they plan on doing to help and delight them. Choose an approach that your customers will respond to, and track your results to improve on future welcome emails.

Make your welcome emails timely and personal:

Send your welcome email as soon as you can after customer’s give your their information. Most customers will keep an eye on their email inbox after submitting their request to be on your list, or after ordering a product. Getting their email to them will give them reassurance that their order or request went through, and keep up the excitement of trying your product or learning more about you. Welcome and thank new customers by name. Even though it is unlikely you have the time for someone to address and send every single email, there are automated programs to help you send you chosen welcome email with the customer’s name. Simply adding their name gives the email a much more personal feel.

Deliver an incentive and CTA:

It is common for businesses to give customers an incentive for signing up for email lists, such as 15% off your next order. If you offer a deal, deliver the code in the welcome email. Customers do not want to feel scammed waiting for the deal they were promised, and waiting to send it out in a later email could result in a lost sale or a decline in subscribers. In addition, add your call-to-action so it is clear what path you are trying to get your new customers to take. CTA’s could range from customers using the promo code, to checking out your About Us page, to “liking” your social media pages. Make your welcome email stand out with clean images and a short, concise message.

Welcome emails are important, but also fairly simple as long as you do your research. As with any aspect of your brand, your welcome email should reflect your brand image with colors, pictures, and language. Think of your welcome email as the “welcome mat” to a long and rewarding relationship.